The climbing plant originated on China’s Hainan island and in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is known for its strong growth, which seriously harms the host trees and others below its dense and impenetrable coverage.

The vine is now thriving in the park’s core near the Ho Chi Minh Highway’s western branch. Statistics showed that on an area of 500 square metres, there is an average of nine merremia’s roots and 17 hanging stems. In the buffer zone, the plant is highly concentrated around Bo Trach district’s Thuong Trach commune, with damaged areas exceeding 30 hectares.

Merremia was recently named on a list of 14 non-native species that are posing different level of risks to the park’s ecology. Mimosa pigra, or the giant sensitive tree, which forms dense and thorny thickets, has been classified as a “serious invasive species” alongside Merremia. Invasive animals and plants that are less of a threat include the channeled applesnail, the giant African snail, Mimosa diplotricha (giant false sensitive plant) and the Mozambique tilapia.

The list is designated to catch the public’s attention to mobilise local support in eliminating these detrimental species.-VNA